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CX Zero Ultegra

Everyone has his or her idea of how to get to fast. If you’re the kind of person who wants a bike that feels comfy when hammering, the Colnago CX Zero is your bike. In some circles, this bike is put in the “endurance” pen. Since bike riding, and bike racing, are all about endurance, Colnago refers to this geometry as “classic.” This means a slightly taller head tube and slightly shorter top tube than is currently en vogue at the pro level, but for short-torsoed pro’s or pro riders with normal flexibility, this frame sits very much in the sweet spot of the ideal geometry.

The CX Zero is the race bike to choose if you value comfort over the feedback of every crack in the road. The design is stable and compliant while offering incredible lateral stiffness to better translate leg power into vehicular speed. Colnago designed the CX Zero geometry as their northern classics bike, a bike that limits the road inputs while still offering great steering precision, but the comfortable ride translates well to all conditions. Some of their pro riders use this as their main race bike. It's not surprising. If you feel comfortable, it's easy to lay down the power.

Having one bike for all roads makes the CX Zero, in a sense, workmanlike. That’s because you can beat it like a rented mule every day, and it will still look good and ride good, no matter how hard the roads, how stiff the wind, how unforgiving the external environments.

They accomplished this feat by doing more than just increasing stack and reducing reach. The sloping top tube that’s flattened does its bit. So, too, the round 27.2mm seatpost. The small-diameter seatstays help, and the final bit of aid are the curved chainstays. They kind of look like a traditional fork. The curve does the same job, allowing for vertical movement by the dropouts, but preventing lateral movement from pedaling.

While the chainstays have vertical flex designed in, the bottom bracket juncture is oversized to prevent torsional flex from robbing you of pedaling efficiency. They even went so far as to design the bottom bracket around the BB86 standard, figuring that having the carbon-fiber going out that far wide does a better job of bracing the stays, further limiting lateral movement.

As you’d expect with Colnago, the headset is their proprietary semi-integrated design, supporting a tapered steerer tube and the bearings sitting in replaceable cups. The bearings are supplied by FSA, with an 1 1/8” race at the top and 1 ¼” at the bottom. They also route the cables internally, and the system allows for the easy switching to electronic shifting if you ever desire to make that upgrade. When you go electronic, the battery can be run internally or externally.

The CX Zero softens up the rough roads so you can keep the pace high.

Bottom Bracket Shimano

Brake Calipers Colnago X-Brake 1

Cassette Shimano 105 5800, 11-28

Chain Shimano CN-HG600

Crankset FSA Gossamer, 50/34

Fork Colnago CX Zero Carbon

Frame Material Monocoque Carbon

Front Derailleur Shimano 105 5800

Handlebar Deda RHM01

Headset FSA No63/51E

Pedals Not Included

Rear Derailleur Shimano Ultegra 6800

Saddle Selle Italia Q-Bik

Seatpost Colnago CX Zero Carbon

Shifters / Levers Shimano Ultegra 6800

Stem Deda Zero One

Tires Continental Grand Sport Race, 700x25c

Wheel - Front Shimano WH-RS010

Wheel - Rear Shimano WH-RS010

*Bike specs are subject to change.

*Bikes and components may not be exactly as shown, specifications are subject to change without notice.